Ray Soden
{{Short description|American politician (1925–2012)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Ray Soden
|image = Commander Ray Soden Presenting President Gerald R. Ford with a Plaque at the 75th Annual Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Chicago, Illinois - NARA - 23898421.jpg
|alt =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|03|26}}
|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2012|06|22|1925|03|26}}
|death_place = St. Joseph, Michigan
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname =
|nationality =
|state_senate = Illinois
|district = 23rd
|term_start = {{start date|2003|04|26}}
|term_end = {{end date|2005|01|03}}
|predecessor = James Philip
|successor = Carole Pankau
|party = Republican
|otherparty =
|partner =
|relations =
|children =
|residence = Wood Dale, Illinois
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession =
|committees =
|signature =
|signature_alt=
|website =
|footnotes =
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{flag|United States Navy}}
|serviceyears = World War II
|rank =
|unit =
}}
Raymond R. "Ray" Soden (March 26, 1925 – June 22, 2012) was an American politician.
Early life
Raymond R. Soden was born March 26, 1924 in Chicago to a Polish American family.{{cite journal|last=Petka|first=Ed|title=Discussion of Senate Resolution 749|journal=Journal of the Illinois Senate|volume=93|number=159|page=72|date=November 18, 2004|access-date=April 8, 2025|url=https://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans93/09300159.pdf|quote=Some of you probably did not know that, but Ray is actually a Polish-American}} He was raised in the Montclare neighborhood and graduated from Steinmetz High School.{{cite news|author=|title=Northwest Side Kite Flyers in Semi-Final Contest Saturday|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=April 14, 1940|id={{ProQuest| }}|page=NW1}}{{cite news|last=Megan|first=Graydon|title=Ray Soden, 1924–2012|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 27, 2012|access-date=April 25, 2019|url-access=limited|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2012-07-27-ct-met-soden-obit-20120727-story.html|archive-date=April 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425212515/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2012-07-27-ct-met-soden-obit-20120727-story.html|url-status=live}} He went to the Air Forces Institute and the College of DuPage.{{cite book|title=Illinois Blue Book 2003-2004|page=91|access-date=April 4, 2025|url=https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/43472/rec/13|archive-date=April 5, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405021055/https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/43472/rec/13|url-status=live}} Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Soden enlisted in the Navy. Initially, he was assigned as a musician, but applied for sea duty. He took part in the invasions of North Africa, Okinawa, Leyte Gulf, Guam, Saipan, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima.{{cite book|last=Bottoms|first=Bill|chapter=Biographical Sketches|title=The VFW: An Illustrated History of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States|year=1991|publisher=Woodbine House|pages=28–288|isbn=0933149344|access-date=April 4, 2025|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/vfwillustratedhi0000bott/page/288/mode/2up?q=Soden|via=Internet Archive}} He served aboard the USS Claxton (DD-571). After the war, he became an engineer for the Illinois Bell Telephone Company and retired in 1982.
Veterans advocacy
Soden was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was involved with veterans' affairs. After serving as the Illinois Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Soden was appointed a member of the Illinois Veterans' Commission. He assumed the role June 16, 1965.{{cite book|title=Illinois Blue Book 1969–1970|page=789|access-date=April 5, 2025|url=https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/16404/rec/8}} On November 19, 1969, Governor Richard B. Ogilvie appointed Soden the Chairman of the Illinois Veterans' Commission.{{cite book|title=Illinois Blue Book 1969–1970|page=789|access-date=April 5, 2025|url=https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/bb/id/33277/rec/2}} On August 24, 1973, Soden was named the National Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.{{cite news|title=Hail to the Chief!|newspaper=Illinois V.F.W. News|volume=3|number=7|page=1 |url=https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/p16614coll53/id/6214/rec/7}} During his time as national commander, he was a staunch opponent of amnesty for draft evasion in the Vietnam War.{{cite book|last=Bottoms|first=Bill|chapter=Evergreen 1973–1992|title=The VFW: An Illustrated History of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States|year=1991|publisher=Woodbine House|pages=151–288|isbn=0933149344|access-date=April 4, 2025
|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/vfwillustratedhi0000bott/page/288/mode/2up?q=Soden|via=Internet Archive}}
Political career
A Republican, in 1977, Soden was elected the Addison Township Supervisor. In 1982, he was elected to serve on the DuPage County, Illinois Board of Commissioners.{{cite news|title=Canvass didn't change DuPage vote results|page=1|newspaper=Westmont DuPage Progress|date=November 11, 1982|volume=22|number=49|access-date=April 4, 2025|url=https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/p16614coll90/id/56550/rec/72}} In December 1988, Soden defeated County Board Chairman Jack T. Knuepfer in a 14–12 vote to become the President of the DuPage County Forest Preserve.{{cite news|last=Schwarz|first=Orrin|title=Soden elected forest president|date=December 8, 1988|pages=10–12|newspaper=Westmont DuPage Progress|volume=28|number=40|via=Illinois State Archives|url=https://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/p16614coll90/id/66967/rec/1}} Soden did not run for reelection to the county board in 1992. D. Dewey Pierotti succeeded Soden as a member of the county board from district 1 while Commissioner John J. Case succeeded him as the head of the Forest Preserve Commission.{{cite news|last=Young|first=Linda|title=Case elected Forest Preserve chief Conserving, expanding on priority list|date=December 8, 1992|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|id={{ProQuest| }}}}
Longtime Senator James "Pate" Philip resigned from the Illinois Senate effective April 30, 2003. The Legislative Committee of the Republican Party of the 23rd Legislative District, chaired by Pate Philip, appointed Ray Soden to the vacancy after their initial choice, former Judge Duane Walter, faced blowback for conduct while on the bench.{{cite news|title=Ex-DuPage official to succeed Philip in Senate|last1=Gregory|first1=Ted|first2=Rick|last2=Pearson|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=April 26, 2003|page=NW18}} He did not seek election in the 2004 election. In 2004, he was a member of the Bush-Cheney National Veterans Steering Committee.{{cite web|title=Bush–Cheney '04 National Veterans Steering Committee Members|publisher=George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign|date=May 11, 2004|access-date=April 4, 2025|url=https://p2004.org/bush/bushorgvet.html|archive-date=March 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210314194033/http://p2004.org/bush/bushorgvet.html|url-status=live}} He resigned January 5, 2005.{{cite letter|last=Soden|first=Ray|recipient=Linda Hawker, Secretary of the Senate|subject=Resignation|date=December 7, 2004|publisher=Illinois Senate|pages=6–7|access-date=April 4, 2025|url=https://www.ilga.gov/senate/journals/93/2005/SJ093160R.pdf}} The winner of the 2004 general election, Carole Pankau, was appointed to succeed Soden.{{cite journal|last=Dillard|first=Kirk|title=Certificate of Appointment to Fill Vacancy|date=January 10, 2005|journal=Journal of the Illinois Senate|volume=93|number=160|page=7|publisher=Illinois Senate|access-date=April 4, 2025|url=https://www.ilga.gov/senate/journals/93/2005/SJ093160R.pdf}} Soden died of lung disease at a hospital in St. Joseph, Michigan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dailyherald/name/raymond-soden-obituary?id=24559281|title=Raymond Soden Obituary (2012) – Wood Dale, IL – Daily Herald|website=Legacy.com}}'Illinois Blue Book 2003–2004', Biographical Sketch of Ray. R. Soden, p. 91'Ray Soden, 1926–2012,' Chicago Tribune, Graydon Megan, July 27, 2012
Notes
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box | before=James Philip| title=Illinois Senator | after=Carole Pankau| years=2003 – 2005|}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soden, Ray}}
Category:Politicians from Chicago
Category:People from Wood Dale, Illinois
Category:Military personnel from Illinois
Category:County board members in Illinois
Category:County officials in Illinois
Category:Republican Party Illinois state senators
Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II
Category:21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly
Category:American politicians of Polish descent
{{Illinois-statesenator-stub}}